A three-dimensional geology textbook
Fanjingshan sits where the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau meets the hills of western Hunan. It is one of the older landmasses in southern China to rise from the sea, preserving strata and landforms formed some one to 1.4 billion years ago. Isolated peaks, sheer cliffs and deep valleys — eons of weathering have carved its distinctive stone scenery.
Typical landforms
- Stone pinnacle forests: near-horizontal metamorphic bedding and vertical joints gave rise, after collapse, to Mushroom Rock, Eagle Rock, the "Scroll of Ten Thousand Volumes" and General's Head;
- Gorges and slot gorges: tectonics and water erosion cut deep, steep gorges;
- A dome-shaped massif: huge relief makes a classic dome-like mountain ecosystem.
Water and waterfalls
Rivers radiate from the summit in many streams, earning the name "ninety-nine streams," and the drop forms many waterfalls. In the wet season the rushing streams and falls add life to this ancient massif.
Why it is worth learning about
With a little geology, what you see on the climb is not just "rocks" but a billion-year history of the Earth. Please do not chip, climb or remove rock samples, so these geological relics endure.
